This invention relates to an automatic photographic developing machine for developing photosensitive material such as photographic paper or film by passing it through different kinds of treating solutions in treating tanks.
As shown in FIG. 8, a typical conventional automatic developing machine has a plurality of treating tanks 61 arranged in a developing box 60 in a row. A photosensitive material A is fed through the treating solutions in the tanks 61 from the tank at one end of the row toward the tank at the other end of the row. A rack 62 is inserted in each treating tank 61 to guide photosensitive material A. An inlet guide 63 is provided at the inlet of the treating tank 61 provided near the inlet end of the developing box 60 to guide the photosensitive material A inserted into the developing box 60 into the first rack 62.
Also, top turn guides 64 are provided above and between the adjacent racks 62 to guide the photosensitive material A coming out of each rack 62 into the next rack 62.
Each rack 62 has a feed mechanism 65 for feeding photosensitive material A. If the material A is a film, the feed mechanism 65 comprises a plurality of sprockets adapted to engage square holes formed in a leader to which the leading end of the film is connected. If the photosensitive material is a sheet of photographic paper, the feed mechanism comprises a pair of feed rollers for sandwiching the photographic paper. The feed rollers or the sprockets are rotated in one direction by an external driving means.
Such an automatic developing machine is soiled gradually with use. Thus, it has to be cleaned periodically or whenever necessary. To facilitate cleaning and in order that any photosensitive material A that may get stuck in the developing machine easily can be removed therefrom, the racks 62, the inlet guide 63 and the top turn guides 64 are detachably mounted so as to be lifted upward by opening a top cover 66 of the developing box 60.
More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the racks 62 are simply hung in the treating tanks 61, while the inlet guide 63 and the top turn guides 64 have upper support pieces 68 and 69 supported on the top surfaces of handles 67 provided at the tops of the racks 62. By turning knobs 70 rotatably mounted on the handles 67, the inlet guide 63 and the top turn guides 64 are pressed down.
One shortcoming of this conventional automatic developing machine is that it is troublesome to mount or dismount the inlet guide 63 and the top turn guides 64 because, for this purpose, all the knobs 70 have to be turned. Another problem is that an operator tends to frequently forget to lock a knob 70 or two. Also, if the inlet guide 63 or any top turn guide 64 is set incompletely, it is impossible to turn the corresponding knob 70. Thus, any incompletely set inlet guide or top turn guide has to be removed and set again, which is extremely troublesome.
An object of this invention is to provide an automatic photographic developing machine having a locking means that locks the inlet guide and the top turn guides simultaneously when they are set in position, and a means that can move any of the inlet guide and top turn guides that is set incompletely to a completely set position by closing the top cover.